Memory
by FamkePenelope
Summary: A forbidden childhood friendship, blooming rebelliously free from Father's control, cut short by a scapel to the left eye, drunk by a devious golden serum, destoryed by broken hearts and troubled pasts. To take away the memory, the memory of how they met, is sure to be a nightmare. Memory; the story how Aya and Dio truly met.


**MEMORY**

_let the memory survive_

**How did Dio really know Aya?**

* * *

Dio watched as Aya rushed through the door with Maria, not turning back. He had no idea what had made him follow her around the whole time, protecting her at times of danger. Eventhough he had been told by Monika to save her, he had still looked out for her even before she had found out the truth about her mothers death. Dio found himself asking himself why, over and over again as he sat in the middle of the grand hall, that was slowly being consumed in sunset orange flames. This mansion would gradually turn to ash, and any evidence of the curse of the Doctors wrong-doings would be erased. However, it wasn't like he was going to die here; he was undead. He wasn't even sure himself what he was, but he was dead, but at the same time, very alive. Like the other victims here, he could still feel emotion, pain and hunger just like a human, yet he was already dead so he could not die.

It was almost like his soul had been trapped in an invincible body, and there was no escape from it. He was in the remainder of the victims, the ones that had been unsuccessful in being used to make a doll, and for that, he counted himself lucky. But was he really that lucky, now that he had to live eternally, watching every one else die around him? Hugging his knees, he felt an urge to follow Aya, but he knew that the spirit barrier would push him back; he had tried once before. That's why he was escaping the mansion, by hopefully burning off the curse in order to do so. Dio had no idea whether this would work, but it was worth a try.

He closed his eyes, remembering when he had seen small glimpses of the girl before she had learnt of the curse. The doctor imprisoned him in a small prison room, along with a bunch of other victims who had just come for medical treatment. It had one small window, but the sil was long enough in width for Dio to lay on. He'd looked through the speckled pain, and see a girl his age, with flowing black hair and a large magenta bow. Aya would dance in the wind, her smile lighting up the dull hues of grass and her sapphire eyes sparkling like light bouncing off the sea. Dio, as lonely as he was, tried to get his attention, by rapping on the window loudly. Sometimes she'd turn around curiously, but Maria was always there to avert her attention elseware. But one day, she noticed him...

* * *

x FLASHBACK X

* * *

Dio rapped on the window again, sighing as he saw the pretty girl playing innocently. So much was hidden from her. So far, the tapping on the window hadn't worked, so the day before, Dio had snuck into the Doctor's room and stolen some sort of screw driver, hoping he could loosen the nails and open the tightly shut window. He looked around quickly, before hopping onto his place by the window. There had been three prisoners in his room yesterday, but they had been taken away and turned ino freaky dolls, leaving him on his own. It was terribly lonely without anyone to play with or even talk to. It was pure hell for him to be honest. Pushing the rusty screw driver into the nail, he managed to twist it round and pull it out of of the frame, loosening the handle slightly. He did the same for the next nail, throwing it carelessly on the floor, discarding of it. Dio pushed the frame open, the old cracked glass splitting the the process, making a large crashing sound. Aya whipped her head around at the noise, as Dio rushed behind a curtain nervously, his breath held hard.

"It's okay," she whispered sweetly, walking carefully over the glass towards the window. "Don't hide..."

She peered through the broken glass, spotting blonde curls right by the side of the window frame. Dio turned to face her, stunned at how friendly and sweet her face looked, just like all the times before he had seen her dancing in the sunlight. She smiled at him, a slight blush creeping over her pale cheeks. Aya had never seen one of her fathers patients in person so this was a first.

"What's your name? Mines Aya!"

"Dio!" he replied with a grin, making Aya feel a strange fuzzy feeling inside of her that she'd never had before. In all truth she'd never talked to someone her age before and was quite a lonely child although rich. Now that she had no mother to play with, she spent most her time playing make believe with her rabbit and herself.

"Let's be friends!" she suggested, her eyes closing with happiness. However Dio shook his head for some reason.

"I can't be friends with you. Your father would never-"

"Who said father has to know? He's always super busy doing work down below, and his assistant Maria always hangs around with him, so he would not notice you came to play for a while..."

Dio was smiling, but he felt sorry for Aya. She was so oblivious to the true horrors happening around her. He wondered if he should tell her about the dolls, but decided not to.

"Okay then!" he replied kindly, nodding. "How old are you, I'm almost twelve!"

"Twelve?! I thought you were my age..."

"Which is?"

"Oh," she blushed "I'm almost ten, actually!"

"So nine. Your tall for your age you know."

"What's wrong with you then? Usually the patients have eye problems, I think fathers an eye doctor, but he insists he's not!"

"That's right..." mumbled Dio biting his lip "He's cerntainly not that type of doctor."

"Anyway, I want to show you my room, and snowball, and all my things! I'm so glad i've finally got a friend."

Glancing around breifly, Dio clambered through the sharp edges of glass and out into the garden, landing steadily with help from Aya. Putting a finger on her lips, she grabbed the boys hand and pulled him into the house, narrowly avoiding the rooms Maria could possibly be in. Taken aback by the gesture, Dio kept quiet although he was a bit uncomforatble with her holding his hand. Finally, after taking several flights of stairs, they reached Aya's room, a large space filled with pastel colours everywhere. Aya let go of his hand and let him through the door, surprised at how warm she felt inside. It was early spring, and it was still chilly outside, but warm enough for her to play outside with Snowball. She wondered if Dio felt cold all on his own in the hospital bed wallowing away in his illness, all by himself.

"Let me show you all my toys!" Aya insisted dragging Dio across to the toy section if the room. There were loads of stuffed toys lined up against the wall, several drooping against each other, making Dio remember is room at home. A place he had not been for what seemed like years and years. There was a large bookcase, spilling with various textbooks Aya could probably not even read; an elegant dressing table that clearly had not been bought for a little girl like Aya; a small single bed with a soft to the touch cover and a chest, seemingly locked. Aya noticed Dio seemed to be looking at the box, and opened it even with out his word. He gasped and jumped back at the sight. Amongst various tights and dresses, was a lime green doll, with bright, emerald eyes.

"Isn't it beautiful!" giggled Aya, presuming that he was awe inspired.

"No," he said bluntly, in a hollowed out voice. "It's horrible!"

"I suppose you'd say that since your a boy..."

Aya closed the chest abruptly, not wanting to increase Dios strange dislike to it in any way.

"Apart from the doll, I think your room is absolutely beautiful, Aya." he said honestly, his shiny brown eyes sparkling at her. Dio had the most dreamiest eyes, making every expression strong on his face. Was it just her, or did Aya feel a strange fluttering feeling again in her stomach?

"Uh...thank you!"

* * *

Every day after that, Dio would sneak out of the broken window frame when he had the chance. Sometimes Maria would come and check over him, making sure his body was in good shape, and surprisingly it was. She didn't treat the younger boys very well you see, but was glad that he was fine. Maria would bring him bread and water every day, however, Aya would always bring food from the kitchen for him whenever he came to play, which was quite often. He was so kind to her, and they'd play all sorts of imaginary games, and also some that Dio used to play at home.

* * *

"What was your home like?" Asked Aya one day, when they were playing in her room. Dio turned to her with wistful eyes, remembering what his home and family was like.

"It was a small country cottage, much smaller than this mansion," he told her, picturing it in front of him. "In the outskirts of this forest, near the village square. I had a mother and two little sisters...I really miss them."

"Aw, don't worry," Aya said soothingly "you'll be back in no time once father treats you. Did you say you had a father?"

"No," he muttered "He came here to be 'treated' and never came back."  
Aya flinched at his tone, but it wasn't news to her. Many people were so ill father couldn't treat them and they died.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. They same thing happened to your mother didn't it?"

Aya's eyes clouded up at the mention of her late mother. It was true, father had been treating mother for an extremely bad cough, and one day they were operating on her and she choked whilst unconscious and passed away in fathers arms. It made her sob just thinking about it, and Dio felt slightly bad with upsetting Aya this way. He saw the clear tears sliding out of her bright blue eyes, and quickly ran up to her, his sleeve wrapped over his wrist and hands. Carefully, he wiped the tears off her face with the cuff of his shirt, making Aya gasp slightly and freeze on the spot. Then he rolled his sleeve back up and stroked her face gently with his hands. Aya was surprised how soft his hands were, in fact, they reminded her of her mothers.

"Don't cry because your mothers life is over, smile because it happened!"

She looked up at his chocolate brown, shiney eyes, and felt slightly breathless for a moment.

"That's what my mother would always say to me after father died, I'm sure yours would want you to think that too."  
Aya nodded as he took his hand away from her face, smiling as she seemed to be blushing. She looked ever so pretty when she did.

"Thanks Dio."

"No problem. Now, whose turn was it again?"

From that day, Aya felt a strong connection with the slightly older boy, and if you saw them together you could see that they were much more than friends. They'd play together normally of course, but Dio would brush her long, jet black hair for her, like her mother used to do, with the same old comment.

"You must have the longest hair in all of Germany!"  
and sometimes when running, they'd even hold hands. It was a cute friendship that Aya never dreamt she'd have. She was having the best time of her life with Dio, but it wouldn't last much longer, for one day her father found out.  
It was mid spring and the flowers were blooming in the garden, so Aya had risked taking Dio outside. They had never been caught before, so they weren't going to get caught now. Aya had gathered a pile of vibrant blooms for Dio, blushing as she shyly handed them over. He excepted them, but asked if he could do something with them. Aya nodded, hoping that she would give them back to her. In his surprise, he began weaving the stems together, one by one, hence making a beautiful flower crown, just the right size for Aya's head.

"There we go!" he said with a grin, placing the crown on her head. "I pronounce your princess-"

"Aya...? Come to your room I need to speak with you!"  
Dio and Aya both froze on the spot. That was definitely the dull voice of Maria, from thcorridor. They could hear her calling Aya's name again, and her gradual thump of footsteps were getting louder.

"Quick!" yelled Aya urgently, pointing at a bush "Hide in there!

Dio nodded, practically diving under the vast coverage of the overgrown bush. It wasn't very comfortable, but it had to do for the time being. Aya instantly started dancing, hurriedly picking up snowball, petting him in her arms. Maria emerged from the corridor, wearing a serious look on her face.

"Oh hi Maria. I know I said I would be in my room, but it was so sunny and..."

"Oh don't worry," she stopped her sharply, walking around the garden. "Actually, I just want to say your father has noticed something different about you."

"Eh?"

Maria glared at her, her eyes narrow and accusing. Aya really hoped she hadn't found out about Dio!  
"You're always...extremely happy, with blushing cheeks and a spring in your step, that's not a bad thing but we can tell something is different,mhljoh And you never pester anyone to play with you anymore!"

"I've got snowball," Aya retorted defensively, holding the white rabbit firmly in her cupped hands.

"There's only so much company a rabbit came give."  
Maria strutted over to the wall which Dio would always come out of when he came to play. Almost instantly, she noticed that there was a small hole in the glass, and peered through it. The young blonde boy who was imprisoned in that room had vanished. She turned back to Aya, with a wicked smile on her face.

"Oh really? Where is Dio then?"  
Aya flinched at the name of her friend, but shook her head, determined for Dio not to be found out.

"Dio? Huh...what kind of a name is Dio anyway."  
Saying this the bush twitched, alerting Maria to his hiding place. She shook her head, still grinning, and walked towards the bush. Maria isn't usually like this, Aya thought running after her, what had gotten into her? Desperately trying to stop her, she fake tripped over a rock, landing with a bang.

"Mistress, are you alright? You should be more careful..."  
Groaning in fake pain, the stood in front of the bush, meeting Maria's harsh gaze with her icy one.  
Maria forcefully pushed her aside, groping in her bush for the boy, Sure enough, she grabbed onto his arm, and with much effort, pulling him out of the bush with a sigh.

"Aya you may ask why I'm doing it, but your father ordered me to get rid of the boy. He's a threat to your safety, and he just wants the best for you!"

"The best for her?" echoed Dio, as Maria roughly put him on the floor. "She's lonely, why can't she just have one friend?"

"You don't understand..."

"Please don't make him go Maria!" Aya begged, doing her best puppy dog eyes. Maria frowned, not wanting to fall for her 'act'. She needed to carry out what the doctor had told her to do, it was her duty, and it may even make his affections for her grow.

"Sorry Aya, but this boy has gone against the rules of our clinic, so we will have to throw him out."

"Gladly!" Dio sneered, writhing around in her grip "I don't want to be turned into a stupid do-"  
Maria clamped her pale hand around his mouth before he finished, glaring at him with sharp green eyes.

"Dio...I really enjoyed playing with you you know, your my best friend! But, it's best for you to go back home to your mother, or father will be terribly angry." Aya told him, making Maria's twisted grin widen as she was helping.

"But Aya, you don't know what they're going to do to me, I'll never-"

"That's enough, Big mouth. Let's go."

"Wait."  
They all turned to see Aya's father, a crazily calm look on his unmasked face, making both Dio and Aya shiver.

"Doctor, sir, I found him..."

"Good. I was just going to carry out his treatment now!"

"Father! So your not going to kick him out?"

"Of course not, what a fine specimen to go to waste?"  
Dio shouted in frustration, still trying to break free of Maria's ruthless grip. Aya couldn't understand what was wrong with him, he was about to get treated, something he had been waiting for for weeks.

"But Maria, why not let him say...goodbye to Aya before he goes?"

"He goes?"

"Sweetie, this operation is very hard. Plus we will be taking him straight home, so you need to say bye bye soon."

"Oh..."

"Goodbye?" questioned Dio, as Maria pushed him aside. He hesitated, staring at her glassy blue eyes with dread and pity. She really knew nothing.

"Aya," he whispered "The dresser." Then he hugged her tight, feeling a small tear against his chest, making him feel even more nervous for the 'operation' then he had before. As Maria tugged them apart, Aya wondered what he had meant by 'the dresser' did he hide a present in there for her because he knew he was leaving?

"Alright. Let's not delay. Stay here Aya, and have fun."

"Yes father."  
And with that Maria dragged Dio by his arms into the dark corridor, leaving Aya to stare at them, cold and lonely once more.

* * *

Dio awoke, blinking into darkness, his heart thumping loud in his chest. He had been knocked out and wheeled into a room without lights, so he had no idea if they had even started. He moved every part of his cold body, thankfully realising he wasn't injured.

"How much do you know?" Maria asked, holding up a bright oil lamp to his face, a mask over her mouth and a surgical cap on. Ugly.

"More then enough. I've been here a lot longer then you even know!"

"Have you told Aya anything about it?"  
Dio's lips twitched, hoping that she had heard him mention the dresser and found the note explaining everything, but he still wondered if she'd choose to believe it, or stay loyal to that mad father of hers.

'Maybe."

"Yes or no to all these questions please."

"Yes."  
Her eyes glimmered, making Dio flinch, but she quickly got up and started digging in the old medicine shelves for something. It was a pear shaped glass bottle, filled with a shiny, golden water that almost looked like liquid gold. He thought he was going to give it to him, however, Aya's name was written on the front with jet black marker pen.

"What are you going to do to her?" he demanded to know, pulling at the ropes of his feet.

"None of your business. Doctor, I'm ready."

"Answer me!"

"DOCTOR!"  
The doctor entered the room, full on surgery kit on him, the coat, mask, all of it, making Dio feel slightly sick.

"Please don't kill me..." he whispered, making Maria laugh at his feeble attempts to escape.

"Shhh, it won't work if your not quiet." the doctor said sternly, making Dio make even more noise just to spite him.

"I'm not dying, I have to be there for her, for Aya."

"Aya doesn't need you, she's got her loving father, and me."

"You'll never replace Monika you know, old hag!" sneered Dio. "Aya loved her mother more than anything in the world-"

"More than you?"

"Huh? Shut up."

"Aww, your'e embarrassed, little one. Look at this!"  
Maria shoved a magenta pink notebook in his face, flicking through every page that was filled with Aya's neat handwriting. Dio recognised it as her diary, it was the special one that her mother had brought for her the day before she died.

"Give that back to Aya, it's special!"

"Hm..."Today Dio made me a pretty flower crown...blah blah, I hope father doesn't find out that I've got a secret friend!" Ha, I expected more of you, mistress."  
Maria tossed it away at the bookshelf, and a scalpel replaced the empty spot in her hands. The doctor had injected some vile liquid into him whilst he had been distracted, and he was starting to feel weary but still annoyed. He squeezed his eyes shut as the scalpel moved towards his face; Maria tutted in response.

"We can't get at your eyes like that!" The Doctor said, forcing then open. "My, they are chocolate brown and very dreamy, I must say."

"I recall Aya writing a similar description in her little book."

"That's how you found out..." Dio realised, his eyes fluttering under the power of the general anaesthetic. "Aya...never...forgive..."  
As his mind drifted away, he prayed silently to himself.

"Aya, please get here in time..."

* * *

Aya,

It's me Dio, writing this because I know I'm going to die soon, but I don't know when. So I guess you should know about the secret surrounding your father. People come here for free medical treatment, but in all reality they are turned into dolls. I've seen it myself, they are ripped to shreds, their best features saved and the rest dumped, just like when they did that to your mother after she found out about his affair with Maria. I'm sorry to break it to you so crudely, but the truth is the truth. That doll In the bedroom you love? I know why, because it has the hair taken directly from your own mother. You feel the certain aura from it don't you? Your father will eventually turn you, his own daughter into a doll, I overheard, so you need to run. Escape. Get out of this place, however you can, please, before they get you too. There's a small shack me and my sisters used to play in filled with supplies just across from the fields.  
Your best friend, Dio

* * *

Sweat trickled down Aya's forehead as she rushed down the three flights of stairs and into the basement floor. What had Dio's letter really described? Was her father really a human killing, doll making, mad doctor? Dio certainly made it sound like it. It also explained why he had been so shocked by the doll in her room when she had first shown it to him. But could father ever do something like that? She had to find out. Aya hoped for the sake of Dio that he was lying, and they were just operating on him to make him better so he could finally go home. But she still felt doubt seep through her heart, making her nervous with every brisk step nearing the door. Eventually she reached it, and grabbed the handle carefully, her hands shaking like twigs in the breeze. To her surprise the door creaked open easily without her pushing too hard; it wasn't locked like it usually was in the daytime. She heard voices echoing around in the room; the calm voice of her father, the soft but firm voice of Maria, and what sounded like short, sharp gasps from Dio. She couldn't stand it any longer, she had to find out the truth about what was happening to her new friend. Aya crept in, the horrors Dio had described happening right before her. Maria was holding a scalpel, scarily close to his eyes and holding a plastic bottle in her other hand. Her father saw her instantly and his mouth drooped.

"Aya, I told you not to bother me when I'm working." he said sternly, walking towards her.

"Father, what are you doing?"  
Aya's shrill voice cut across the anaesthetic, waking Dio from his forced sleep. As he caught sight of the shocked girl, he smiled, just a little bit for she had read his letter,

"Aya.."

"Shush, boy, haven't you done enough!" shouted Maria.

"Dio, were you telling the truth?" Aya asked, her lips trembling as she spoke.

"Of course," he mumbled softly, since Maria had clamped her hand over his mouth again. "I'd never lie to you."

"Aya, Dio needs to be operated on, sweetie, can you leave the room?"

"No!" she retorted obstinately, slowly bringing her hands to her front, revealing the green doll from her room. "Your not going to turn him into a doll like...like mom?"

"What are you talking about!?" Maria scoffed, still next to Dio. "Doctor, I think-"

"Maria, leave it." he ordered, kneeling down so to be the same height as his daughter. "Aya, me and your mother love and loved you very much, we just want to protect you."

"I think-"

"Shush, boy."

"...from liars in this world. Dio is a liar, he just wants to scare you, like those creepy men dressed in black that talked to you in the woods, remember?"

"You never let me go there again since." Aya remembered sadly.

"That's right. They told you about a silly curse didn't they?"

"Yes father."

"Did you believe them?"

"Yes father."

"And then what happened?"

"They gave me something that they said would undo the curse. I gave it to mother."

"And then?"  
Aya hesitated, not really wanting to say anything else but her father was gripping her be her shoulders.

"She got sick...and died."

"So you mustn't believe liars Aya, they can lure you in much further than just what he did. He tricked you Aya."

Aya turned to Dio, his pleading eyes planting a seed of discomfort in the pit of her stomach. Father would never lie to her, but she believed Dio would never lie as well. She was so torn, she had nothing to believe. Then unexpectedly Maria came over to her a hugged her.

"I know your going to miss your knew friend," she whispered softly "and I know you miss your mother too. It's best just to forget about it, okay?"

"Okay..."

"Aya, please, it's true, believe me, please don't give up now!" Dio shouted, frustrated.

"Too late."

"But she'll remember the dolls! Your're all stupid, Aya is more clever then you think!"

"That's why I've got this...'  
Maria held up the golden bottle, shaking it mockingly.

"What is it?"

"Memory serum. She'll forget about you altogether, like she never even met you."

"No!"

"Yes. But first, Maria, we must let her watch Dio die." Aya's father ordered, picking up a scalpel. "Left or right first?"

"Hmmm..." Maria squinted at his eyes, making him shiver all over, but he didn't cry. Dio never cried. "Left, of course!"

"Stop it!" begged Aya, pulling on her fathers coat. "Please stop it!"

"Aya, get off me!" her father yelled, the scalpel freakishly close to his eye now. "You'll mess up the procedure!"  
Aya wouldn't stop, and pulled at his coat so hard the scalpel slipped. Maria screamed and rushed over to Aya with the serum, injecting it into her, making her fall over, now clearly knocked out. Dio was screaming in pain, for Aya, for help, but there was nothing he could now do. He was going to die now and he knew it.

"What a waste." muttered the Doctor, picking up Aya roughly. "Take him to the prisons downstairs. Unfortunately due to the curse he will be undead."

"Yes doctor. You will take care of the mistress?"  
He nodded, walking out of the door, Maria steering Dio, still writhing in pain, behind him. "It will take a few days for the selected memories to vanish. I will take her to her room."

"Very well Doctor."

* * *

X End of Flashback X

* * *

And so Aya forgot Dio even existed, all those days they had spend playing, were gone and never to be retrieved again. Dio died not long after the incident, becoming undead like all the other victims before him, trapped forever in the prison due to the curse. He thought he'd never see the girl again, but he did, much later, in the events of Mad Father, a few months later...

The end

* * *

**_7/8/15 UPDATE: formatting_ **


End file.
